Silver Theater (radio program)

Silver Theater

Rosalind Russell and James Stewart as they appeared in the first four episodes of Silver Theater
Other names	The 1847 Silver Theater
Genre	Hollywood drama
Running time	30 minutes
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
Syndicates	CBS Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
TV adaptations	The Silver Theatre
Hosted by	Conrad Nagel John Loder
Starring	Hollywood stars
Announcer	John Conte Dick Joy Henry Charles Roger Krupp Jack Bailey Harry Bartell
Written by	True Boardman Grover Jones Joseph Russell George Wells
Directed by	Glenhall Taylor
Produced by	Glenhall Taylor Edna Best Ted Bliss Walter Bunker
Original release	October 3, 1937 – August 17, 1947
Sponsored by	International Silver

For the television series of the same name, see The Silver Theatre.

Silver Theater (sometimes written as Silver Theatre) was a radio dramatic anthology series in the United States. Originating in Hollywood, California, it was carried on CBS and on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. First broadcast October 3, 1937, its last broadcast was August 17, 1947.

Originally, Silver Theater featured movie stars, primarily in original dramas and less often in adaptations of movies. Comedies were presented occasionally. In a reversal of the customary trend, some original dramas from Silver Theater were purchased for use in movies. In 1947, when the program was broadcast as a summer replacement series, radio stars—rather than those from movies—were used as leads.

In 1941, the Summer Silver Theater was a variety program, with Ed Sullivan as host and Will Bradley as bandleader. A guest star featured each week.

By its nature, Hollywood Star Playhouse had no regular cast. Different movie stars of the era were featured, as indicated in the sampling of episodes and stars listed below. One continuing presence was that of the host, who was referred to as the "director" on the air. Conrad Nagel was the initial host. John Loder replaced him in the early 1940s. Announcers over the program's lifetime were John Conte, Dick Joy, Henry Charles, Roger Krupp, Jack Bailey, and Harry Bartell. Felix Mills directed the orchestra.

The sponsor, International Silver Company, launched the program by inviting couples married 25 years or more to the CBS studio for the initial broadcast on October 3, 1937.